1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to locks and more particularly pertains to spare tire access hole locks which may be used for preventing the theft of spare tires on vehicles equipped with undercarriage spare tires.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of spare tire locks is known in the prior art. More specifically, spare tire locks heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of locking spare tires are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
A spare tire lock can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,756, which issued to Fennell, that is attachable to the underside of tractor trailers for preventing theft of a spare tire captured therein.
Another example of a spare tire lock can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,912, which issued to Guarr, that comprises a flexible drive tube for insertion through the bumper access hole of such equipped vehicles that further includes a keyed engagement for coupling to the spare tire release mechanism.
The most common method of preventing theft of a spare tire has been the use of a chain and padlock in a manner tethering the spare tire to the vehicle. While this prevents theft of a spare tire by a thief not having tools, such attempt at preventing theft of the spare tire is easily negated by the use of a simple hand tool such as a bolt cutter which can be used to quickly cut through the chain. Furthermore, the chain rattles during vehicle travel which is annoying to the vehicle occupants.
The locking mechanisms previously mentioned do not block the spare tire access hole in the bumper of a vehicle to preclude theft of the associated spare tire. In addition, the patents described above do not provide a simple and effective accessory locking device that may be used without drilling or modifying the associated vehicle.
In this respect, the spare tire access hole lock according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing entrance of a tool to release the spare tire from stowage by obstructing access to the spare tire release mechanism through the spare tire access hole.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new spare tire access hole locks which can be utilized for preventing the theft of spare tires on vehicles equipped with undercarriage mounted spare tires by obstructing access to the spare tire release mechanism through the spare tire access hole. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.